he looks so happy to work and so eager!!! just curious about something, does he just get over excited and jump at your side or is there a reason for that? never seen it and am just curious. he looks great out there! good work.

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Rumble loves to work. The jump to heel is Rumble’s idea, totally natural for him. I use a combination of positive and negative reinforcement throughout training. (I don’t believe in purely positive training.) Balance training is the key.

Rumble takes his toll on me during obedience. He plays rough! He is one of my all time favorites to train with!

Hey Chris, I have a question for you. When do you discipline? What do you use for corrections?

I have done corrections, and know how to do them, but was swept up in the clicker nazi movement and was anti-positive punishment/negative reinforcement for a long time.

I have been a purely positive clicker trainer, and am finding some holes that most PP trainers deny are there. I have not seen control like you have out of many purely positive trainers outside of breeds such as Goldens and BCs.

Yet I do not want to go mostly punishment either. I think, as you said, balance is key. I love the clicker for teaching behaviors, but I find it is not the best at teaching limits, or non-behaviors. There are some behaviors which I would like to not occur because the dog knows not to do it, rather than I have trained around it (such as taking food off counters.)

We can move this to behavior and training if anyone wants.

BTW, I love that video, very impressive to see the excitement to work and the control in the same dog. I really would like to come up to see you some time with my girls. Could you PM me your rates?

Sorry Chris, I just got a chance to watch the video for the first time.

I like that Rumble ignores the unstable and irregular footing (hay bales, log) to maintain handler focus. I also like that he stays focused on you throughout the session, but that's not a surprise as I've seen him maintain that focus a lot longer than that with multiple decoys to distract him.

I had no sound on the version I watched. Towards the end you recalled him off of a hay bale. Were you directing him to crawl during the recall or was he creeping?

Connor does the same flip finish into heel (his idea as well). The difference is he doesn't slam me in the junk like Rumble does to Chris. He hits me in the chest and shoulder. The more I watch Rumble work the more I see Connor's potential. They must share the same brain.

Cool video. Should be required viewing for anyone who claims that corrections in training produce an unhappy obedience dog. I'm hoping to post a similar one myself soon.

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I use mostly efficient, strong, well-timed understandable (by the dog) corrections. Some slight, some hard. The “level of correction” is different from dog to dog and drive to drive. Then as soon as the dog gets it correct, I will let him know he is now correct. Timing and level of corrections are everything.

BTW, I love that video, very impressive to see the excitement to work and the control in the same dog. I really would like to come up to see you some time with my girls. Could you PM me your rates?

Thanks!
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We taught Rumble a crawl for the local fire departments and teaching kids what to do in a fire. The "Crawl" is a command. Though (as you have seen) sometimes Rumble "Offers" it when he is in drive overload!